theghost
New Member
okay, I hope this will not be too long but I guess i need to explain. I am tyring to grow coraline algea in my FOWLR tank.
I have a 46gal bowfront, w/d filter/sump, Magnum350 filter, Prizm skimmer. My levels were all reading fine at the begining of my story.
The light I had was the stock light that came with my tank. Only a 20watt NO bulb. Maybe this is were I went wrong, but I asked my LFS what I needed to do. The first reccomendation was to upgrade my lights. I knew I would have to do this, so I bought a JBJ with a total of about 200 watts. Half daylight, half blue.
Next they told me to mantain a reading of 450 for calcium. I bought the test kit and B-Ionic supplement. The test kit I got is made by MEI. When I tested my water I was off the top of the scale, over 500, which the paper with the test kit says this is "way to high". I haven't added any supplement to the water yet. I took a water sample to the LFS and they read 360 on the same water. When I got back home I tested it again and the same result as before over 500. What do I do? I tested the water I top off with and it reads off the scale below 220.
While I was at the LFS they told me to test phosphate. I bought the kit (Red Sea) and went home to test my tank. They told me I should try to get as close to 0 phosphates as i can. My results were off the scale again, in excess of 2.0. I bought PO4 minus and have been adding it for two days and still have not read below 2.0.
Before this all started my PH was reading 8.2 and now it's 8.4, my Amonia was 0 and is now on the rise.
I don't know why everything is now so out of whack.
Can anyone please give me some suggestions for a direction to head in?
Thanks
I have a 46gal bowfront, w/d filter/sump, Magnum350 filter, Prizm skimmer. My levels were all reading fine at the begining of my story.
The light I had was the stock light that came with my tank. Only a 20watt NO bulb. Maybe this is were I went wrong, but I asked my LFS what I needed to do. The first reccomendation was to upgrade my lights. I knew I would have to do this, so I bought a JBJ with a total of about 200 watts. Half daylight, half blue.
Next they told me to mantain a reading of 450 for calcium. I bought the test kit and B-Ionic supplement. The test kit I got is made by MEI. When I tested my water I was off the top of the scale, over 500, which the paper with the test kit says this is "way to high". I haven't added any supplement to the water yet. I took a water sample to the LFS and they read 360 on the same water. When I got back home I tested it again and the same result as before over 500. What do I do? I tested the water I top off with and it reads off the scale below 220.
While I was at the LFS they told me to test phosphate. I bought the kit (Red Sea) and went home to test my tank. They told me I should try to get as close to 0 phosphates as i can. My results were off the scale again, in excess of 2.0. I bought PO4 minus and have been adding it for two days and still have not read below 2.0.
Before this all started my PH was reading 8.2 and now it's 8.4, my Amonia was 0 and is now on the rise.
I don't know why everything is now so out of whack.
Can anyone please give me some suggestions for a direction to head in?
Thanks
